Bedtime
by Caitiy
Summary: An unexpected situation interferes with Kakashi’s plans for the evening.


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters contained therein, they belong to Masashi Kishimoto who is kind enough to let fans write fiction. I make no profit from this nor do I intend to.

A/N: I'm not dead! Just super busy with real life. Huge apologies! I hope to update ST sometime soon depending on how real life stuff goes. I've moved again (Back to the US for good! Um, maybe.) but am now unemployed so my job hunt must take priority over ST - sorry guys!

Anyway, this is a one-shot I wrote ages and ages ago inspired by the fantastic fatpuppy's piece .Lights out, kid. which can be found on deviantart (there is a link on my profile) and is highly recommended viewing material! Everyone should definitely run on over and check out her other work too - wonderful! :-) I originally posted this at the KakaSaku archive but that seems to have gone poof so I decided to post it here. Happy Reading!

~*~*~*~

Bedtime

He shifted himself again restlessly and checked the alarm clock he almost never used. The red numbers flickered briefly as the time changed from 11:03 to 11:04. Kakashi sighed and finally pulled himself from the bed. His ears told him why she hadn't made it to bed yet, but the night was swiftly slipping away. He would be leaving for an undetermined period of time in the morning and wanted more than anything to spend the night properly saying goodbye to his kunoichi.

He paused to linger outside the room, listening to her soothing voice and the apparently inexhaustible wails of their child. For a brief moment he felt a surge of jealousy – she should be spending the evening with _him_, not their child, as he would be the one leaving in the morning. But almost as soon as he recognized the emotion for what it was it had passed. He knew he was being selfish and that he now had to share the pink haired woman with someone who legitimately needed her more than he did.

The justifiable needs of their child aside, he still wanted to have a memorable evening with her since he knew very well that, though highly unlikely, it might be their last.

~*~*~*~

Sakura lifted her line of sight to the door, Kakashi was there she could sense him, though he had chosen not to enter the room. Glancing at the nursery clock situated next to her rocking chair told her why. It was getting late and she hadn't joined him – he would be leaving in the morning and she knew he wanted to take his time with his farewells. Each time he left for an extended mission it became progressively harder for both of them, he was not getting younger and the chances of him returning decreased slightly as each day passed, each mission was successfully completed and each new injury healed.

She knew he would never willingly retire, and she could never ask it of him. Instead she followed his lead and made the best of the time they were granted together. For the most part it seemed to work so long as neither of them dwelled on the painful inevitability. It was really only when they found themselves in their current situation, or one similar, that things became complicated and tricky.

Knowing he was lingering outside the door she increased her efforts to sooth the fussy child. Only one word was needed to explain her sudden rash of sleepless nights and over all exhausted state: teething. One of the few ailments children were ever afflicted with that a medic was helpless to do much to alleviate.

So far Kakashi had been more supportive than she could ever have expected of him, even offering to take turns sitting up with the cranky child. Though she had rarely allowed him to do so, she was still appreciative of his genuine offer. Secretly she enjoyed the breakfast in bed he usually made for her after she had spent the night sitting up with their bawling child.

She checked the time again, dismayed to find that another twenty minutes had slipped past, and she seemed to be no closer to settling her teething baby. Again she redoubled her efforts rocking in her chair and even breaking into a silly nonsensical song about a child someone had foolishly put to bed in a tree.

~*~*~*~

He covertly watched as she increased her efforts to sooth the inconsolable child, not missing the fleeting pained expression cross her face after taking note of the time. Kakashi could sense that she was both tired and torn between spending the evening with him and with their child. The momentary flash of unhappiness that had crossed her face made up his mind.

Quietly he slipped into the room, knowing she wasn't going to like what he was about to do, but deciding that the ends would justify his means. She looked up to smile apologetically at him, silently asking for his forgiveness. Her expression, so clearly torn between the two most important people in her life, served only to reinforce his decision.

Wordlessly he held his arms out to her and she sighed, almost in relief, as she handed the still crying child to him. Carefully he took the baby in his arms, bouncing the child almost absently as he started to pace around the room, waiting for Sakura to take her leave. He didn't have long to wait as she pushed herself from the rocking chair and joined him for a moment to kiss his cheek before quietly exiting the room.

He waited a couple minutes, until he was sure she had returned to their bedroom before walking slowly to the crib with the still fussy child. Gently he tilted his baby's head a little to look into both of his eyes and concentrated – sending the three tomoe in his Sharingan spinning ever so slowly. Gradually the child stopped crying as sleep started to take precedence over the pain of newly emerging teeth.

Once the baby was completely asleep and settled he quietly took his leave, hoping she wouldn't think to ask what he had done until after he had a chance to say his farewells to her. The last thing he wanted after all the trouble he had just gone through would be to spend a cold and lonely night on the couch.


End file.
